Church pulls in different directions in war against graft

Proverbs 29:4 ” By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.

Preaches Archbishop of the Anglican Church Jackson Ole Sapit, not during a church service, but during a press conference. Without mincing his words, the man of God warns that the country is on the precipice.

He talks up corruption and the stock of public debt at length but he has done that before, the only difference this time is that he is doing it on the invitation of the Multi Sectoral Initiative on Corruption and goes on to say “enough is enough we will rally our congregants against the vice which is robbing us our future”

The respected clergyman rejects the notion that the church has now been forced to take up the role of the opposition which is now non-exsistent thanks to a peace deal between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga.

“The church and the clergy must preach and inculcate the value of hard work as the only means to wealth accumulation,” says Ole Sapit “Together with the bishops in charge of Dioceses, we shall launch a campaign to ensure that proceeds of corruption are repossessed.

Archbishop Ole Sapit’s comments come two days after Raila in a veiled attack at Deputy President William Ruto accused a section of the Kenyan political class of using the church to launder money looted from public coffers.

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“Churches are being used to launder money acquired through corruption.Those who launder money come to churches on weekends for harambees and people clap for them without questioning where the money is coming from,” said Raila during an event in Kisumu over the weekend.

Ruto has been under the microscope for the contributions he dishes out during weekends but he has dismissed his critics saying that he is “investing in the lord”.

Political analysts opine that money is a powerful political tool hence its exploitation by Ruto who is inches away from the presidency.

Contrasting Ole Sapit’s position, Head of Episcopal Church in Kenya Bishop Joshua Koyo and the Head of the Anglican Church of Kenya Maseno Diocese Bishop Charles Onginjo have said that the war on graft must be conducted fairly saying that until a politician is charged with corruption, they will continue to receive church donations.

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“We have a forum to speak against the corruption but we do not have the power to apprehend the culprits and take them to court. Therefore, we should not be blamed,” Bishop Koyo told The Nation.

“We have been listening to this corruption song for a very long time. What we are seeing now is public lynching. If there is evidence implicating an individual, let him be charged before court of law,” Bishop Ongijo said.